Girdle



June 14, 1966 N. A. MARINO 3,255,757

GIRDLE Original Filed March 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flicholasfl. lilarm M W fi l/5 N. A. MARINO June 14, 1966 GIRDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 6, 1964 IN VEN TOR 772' 210105 61. Mann United States Patent 3,255,757 GIRDLE Nicholas A. Marino, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Sears,

2 Claims. or. 128556) This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 349,885, filed March 6, 1964.

My invention relates to ladies girdles, and more particularly has to do with girdles designed especially for active women.

A common defect in most ordinary girdles is their tendency to ride up on the body upon sitting, bending, or engaging in any form of physical .activity which in volves even moderately strenuous muscular movements of the thighs and back. This tendency of the girdle to slide of ride up on the torso after such bodily movements causes discomfort and embarrassment to the wearer, who is required for comfort to grasp the lower edges of the girdle and pull it down. Such slipping and sliding occurs even though the girdle may be of two-way stretch fabric.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a girdle so constructed that it will yield without slipping at the points of bending of the body or muscular flexing,

- thus enabling the girdle to remain in position during and after such activities.

an elastic panel, engageable with back and inside areas of the thighs below the buttocks and crotch.

Another object is to provide such a girdle which will also have an elastic panel below the waistband, thus permitting free bending of the torso as well as leg action with out disturbing the proper fit of the garment. ,My inventionmay in.a sense be said to constitute an improvement over United States patent to Zanca No.

3,080,868, datedMarch 12, 1963.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating certain preferred embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the rear of a girdle emboding my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan View, on a greatly enlarged scale, detailing the construction of a particular type of elastic fabric employed in certain parts of girdles embodying my invention;

FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken substantially along line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken substantially along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the girdle of FIG. 1 on a female figure;

FIGURE 4 is a side perspective view showing the same girdle on a figure in action;

FIGURE 5 is a rear plan view similar to FIG. 1 of a panty girdle to which my invention is applied, and

'FIG. 6 is a side perspective view showing the panty girdle of FIG. 5 on a figure in action.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, inclusive the embodiment of my invention shown therein is a girdle 10 of the usual sheath type, the main body portion of which is formed of two-way stretchable material such as that known in the trade as spandex power net and having a back portion 12 and a front portion 14, with a relatively wide ice horizontally stretchable waistband 15. In accordance with common practice a non-stretchable insert panel 16 may extend vertically from top to bottom of front portion 14 at the mid-section thereof to provide firm support over the diaphragm and abdomen.

Extending substantially across the back of the garment immediately below waistband 15 is a panel 18 of reticulated, stretchable material, shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 2A. This material is highly elastic in a vertical direction and is also elastic to a lesser extent horizontally, and constitutes a pair of superimposed fabrics each of which is formed of diagonally extending crossed elastic filaments 20, said filaments being looped about each other at their crossing points 22 so as to provide diamondshaped apertures 25 between said filaments, to provide high air permeability. Said filaments 20 are so arranged that the fabric has substantially great elasticity in an up and down direction and also substantial stretchability of a lesser degree in a horizontal direction. By having the filaments 20 looped around each other. limited movement at the juncture points is possible, enhancing elasticity of the fabric.

In my preferred embodiment two sheets of reticulated fabric 18a are superimposed on each other to form the panel as seen in FIG. 1, in order to provide increased strength and elasticity as well as greater durability against wear, laundering, etc. It will be understood, however, that I might use a single sheet of reticulated fabric or two or more."

I preferably also provide stays 28 which extend through pockets formed in waistband 15 and alongside the opposite extremities of panel 18 as well as in the front and sides, if desired, to prevent rolling over. Vertically extending reinforcements stitching 30 may be provided at the back below opposite extremities of panel 18 and in extension of stays 28.

It will be noted from FIG. 2A that reticulated panel 18 is stitched to the inner'surface of the garment, so as to provide a neat and attractive finish on the outside. In order that panel 18 may be firmly secured along its lower edge where it joins the main body portion of the garment, a binding thread is stitched or wound thereover throughout its length. This is generally called overlock stitching in the trade.

I also preferably provide at the bottom of back portion 12, so disposed as to lie adjacent the thighs immediately below the buttocks, another elastic panel 35 formed of material similar to that of panel 18 as described above, having greater stretchability vertically than horizontally (FIGS. 1, 2 B, 3 and 4.) Said panel 35 is secured as by stitching to the inside face of said main body portion, a reinforcing tape 37 being inserted between the reticulated fabric and said main body portion. It will be noted that panel 35 is more-or-less crescent shaped, extending substantially from side to side of back portion 12, the bottom edge of panel 35 being substantially a continuation of the substantially straight, normally horizontal bottom edge of the garment and secured to a reinforcing tape or band 40. It will be understood that all of the reinforcing tapes, bands or cords and the like herein referred to as secured to panels 18 and 35 are longitudinally elastic.

When the garment hereinabove described is worn, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, reticulated panels :18 and 35 function to maintain the garment in proper position on the figure throughout its entire extent, despite relatively violent body movements such as might occur in connection with housework or athletic activities such as golf, tennis or bowling, or even in walking or dancing. When the wearer bends at the waist waistband 15 remains in place, panel 18 being elongated in a vertical direction while the main body portion of the garment remains in position. Accordingly, when the wearer resumes an erect position, the garment returns to its normal form as seen in FIG. 3 without having been disturbed from its proper fit on the body.

Likewise, when the wearer engages in leg or thigh move ments, as seen in FIG. 4, panel 35 will be elongated in the direction of such movement, permitting the fit of the garment around the thighs of the wearer to be maintained without disturbance. As seen in FIG. 4, upon leg articulation, insert 35, clinging snugly to the thigh, extendswell into the crotch and is there transversely stretched in conformity with the skin, which has its maximum stretch in this area on such movements, later returning to normal position. Accordingly, the entire garment may be said to maintain its proper position on the figure at all times, despite physical action such as sitting, squatting, bending, walking or other physical activity.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of my invention applied in this instance to a type af garment known as a panty-girdle, as indicated by numeral 10a, such garments being generally similar to the ordinary type of girdle except for the provision of abbreviated leg portions 60, 60, said leg portions being joined to the main body portion by means of a crotch section 62.

In panty-girdle 10a I provide in back portion 12a directly below waistband 15a a panel 18a substantially similar in construction and arrangement to panel 18 described above.

I also provide insert panels 65, 65 in the lower portion of back portion 12a and approximately at the upper extremities of leg portions 60, 60. Looking at FIG. 6, it will be noted that panels 65 are positioned under the lower extremity of the buttocks, as in the case of panel 35 described above, being generally of crescent formation and extending from the rear into the inner portions of legs 60, 60, so as to be disposed opposite and facing each other on the inside surfaces of the thighs. Thus, said panels 65, 65 are secured in part to crotch piece 62 as by stitchin The upper edge 67 of each panel 65 (FIG. 5) is more-orless straight while the lower edge 69 forms a downwardly extending arc, the maximum width of the panel being approximately at the point where the panel joins leg seam 72.

Panels 65 are secured as by overlook stitching to the inside of the garment, substantially as described hereabove for the first embodiment.

It will be apparent that the panty-girdle just described functions in a substantially similar manner to the girdle of the first embodiment.

I am aware that elastic panels in the back of figuremolding garments have previously been suggested, as in Buchanan, No. 1,599,639. However, Buchanan was concerned with a different problem, providing an elastic seat portion in a corset to conceal the lower contour of the buttocks, the panel being secured to garter straps for main- 5 taining the garment in place. On the other hand, my elastic panel is positioned directly below the buttocks and functions to maintain the garment in position even without garters.

Another version of an elastic insert is found in Hiller, No. 2,235,499, in this case in a panty-girdle. Here again the objective was different from mine, being primarily to absorb the strains created by the hosiery fasteners rather than to hold the garment in position on the body independently of such fasteners.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. A sheath type girdle comprising,

(a) a main body of elastic fabric having front and back portions, and

(b) a horizontally elongated relatively narrow, vertically and horizontally stretchable panel of crossed elastic filaments disposed at the bottom of said back portion and normally positioned directly under the buttocks of the wearer,

(c) said panel having its major width and stretchability in its middle portion overlying the inner thigh and having greater vertical than horizontal stretchability,

((1) whereby, upon articulation of the wearers leg about the hip, said panel will extend into the crotch and adhere closely to the inner thigh, being there transversely elongated in conformity with the skin of the wearer, thus serving to maintain the girdle in position on the body during muscular activity. 40 2. A girdle as in claim 1, wherein said panel is longitudinally tapered with substantially reduced width toward its ends.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,298,737 10/1942 Kattermann et al. 128-540 2,602,928 7/1952 Chatfield 128-528 3,130,730 4/1964 Zanca 128-556 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHEATH TYPE GIRDLE COMPRISING, (A) A MAIN BODY OF ELASTIC FABRIC HAVING FRONT AND BACK PORTIONS, AND (B) A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED RELATIVELY NARROW, VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY STRETCHABLE PANEL OF CROSSED ELASTIC FILAMENTS DISPOSED A THE BOTTOM OF SAID BACK PORTION AND NORMALLY POSITIONED DIRECTLY UNDER THE BUTTOCKS OF THE WEARER, (C) SAID PANEL HAVING ITS MAJOR WIDTH AND STRETCHABILITY IN ITS MIDDLE PORTION OVERLYING THE INNER THIGH AND HAVING GREATER VERTICAL THAN HORIZONTAL STRETCHABILITY, (D) WHEREBY, UPON ARTICULATION OF THE WEARER''S LEG ABOUT THE HIP, SAID PANEL WILL EXTEND INTO THE CROTCH AND ADHERE CLOSELY TO THE INNER THGH, BEING THERE TRANSVERSELY ELONGATED IN CONFORMITY WITH THE SKIN OF THE WEARER, THUS SERVING TO MAINTAIN THE GIRDLE IN POSITION ON THE BODY DURING MUSCULAR ACTIVITY. 